I recently had to turn in a short reflection paper as part of my coursework in Theories of Psychotherapy. My professor provided no prompt, except that we were to reflect on an aspect of psychotherapy that we discussed in class. I chose dream analysis because it was forefront of mind, for reasons you’ll read below. I had so much fun writing this paper that 1) I almost thanked my professor for the opportunity and 2) I wanted to share publicly to encourage dream analysis conversation. Here goes:
While dream analysis does not have a significant presence in modern psychotherapy nor school counseling, I cannot help but indulge my fascination with the topic. Our studies of the psychoanalytic theory this week reignited this interest in me. I once wrote an entire research paper based on dream analysis and have had some exposure to the work in recent years from the spiritual perspective. This week’s lesson was a refresher in the study of dreams.
I re-learned that dream analysis uncovers unconscious material and provides insight into unresolved problems. While sleeping, defenses lower, repressed feelings surface, and unconscious wishes, needs, and fears emerge. The therapist’s role is to uncover these meanings and help the client to feel less threatened by the underlying meanings. According to a professor of clinical psychology, Christian Roesler, at a university in Germany (2018), dream work “is not so much to give a precise interpretation of the symbol but more to stimulate processes in the dreamer to become more conscious of potential solutions offered by the dream (p. 22).”
As someone who experiences intense, vivid dreams nightly and is constantly seeking personal insight and awareness, I wonder if dream work is an underrepresented form of therapy. I don’t often see it explicitly offered by therapists, and the internet lacks quality content. There are online dictionaries of dream interpretations, but they are not exactly scientific or do not come from reputable sources.
In an article published by the International Journal of Dream Research, Roesler summarizes his studies of the dreams of a thirty-year-old man who was previously imprison for committing many violent crimes. The most common theme that appeared in the ten documented dreams was an angry, intimidating barking dog. The therapist related the image of this frightening dog to the fear of death. As it turns out, the young man’s father physically abused him to the point of near death throughout his childhood. The therapist used this client’s history and the recurring image of a dog symbolizing the fear of death by abuse to inform his therapeutic practices. The therapist focused on security, safety, and communication with the client. Eventually, with this consistent therapy, the client developed a baseline of security and went on to have a healthy marriage and family of his own.
Coincidentally, the same week we were assigned to read about psychoanalytic therapy, I had a dream so vivid that I found myself searching the internet for interpretations. In my dream, I was with my former partner and his nuclear family in their family home. We were lounging around the house, nothing particularly notable, except that I was constantly in the presence of a turtle. The turtle would follow me around or sit calmly next to me, as if it were the family dog.
According to un-scientific sources online, turtles can represent many things, such as self-preservation, shelter, wisdom, loyalty, and slowness. These themes resonated deeply with me. I experienced some minor self-preservation in the presence of my former partner in the dream, as I was heartbroken at the end of our relationship. Shelter, wisdom, and loyalty all remind me of my former partner’s family. The dream took place in their house, a shelter, and his family has always shared wisdom with me and shown me loyalty, especially in the months since our relationship ended. Finally, and most impactfully, was the reminder of a turtle’s pace: slow and steady. This period of transition for me has been quite slow but steady, nonetheless.
This dream and its’ interpretation brought me so much insight and comfort, not unsimilar to our course’s lesson this week in psychoanalytic therapy. It’s always enjoyable to indulge in the theories of the most iconic psychologist of all, Sigmund Freud. It was also fascinating to relate so deeply with dream work at this point in my life. My penchant for dream analysis and its impact on me makes me think it is a technique I will incorporate into my practice as a professional counselor.
Reference
Roesler, C. (2018). Structural Dream Analysis: A narrative research method for investigating the meaning of dream series in analytical psychotherapies. International Journal of Dream Research, 11(1), 21-29. doi:10.1093/med/9780198806660.003.0018
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